$5 million donation to aid CVC mission

The gift will establish the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Cardiovascular Medical Engineering Research Fund to support research by physicians, scientists and engineers doing promising work in biomedicine and bioengineering.

The auditorium at the Biomedical Science Research Building, the largest research facility on campus, will be named in honor of D. Dan and Betty Kahn, who gave a $5 million gift to the Cardiovascular Center to advance heart disease research. (Photo courtesy UMHS)

Initial work will focus on understanding and treating irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias, with future work expanding into other areas at the interface between heart and blood-vessel disease and engineering.

These new collaborations will take place across continents and in dedicated laboratory space at U-M to be named in honor of the Kahns.

"I have long held the belief that the University of Michigan is one of the great medical research institutions in the world. I also believe it is important for the Michigan economy to support institutions that are based in Michigan," says D. Dan Kahn of Bloomfield Hills.

"This gift to the University of Michigan to support heart research builds on the gift I made in 2004 to honor the memory of my wife, Betty, and supports the great work being done by the Michigan Cardiovascular Center."

It is through D. Dan Kahn's vision that two world-class institutions, the University of Michigan and Technion University in Israel will come together to potentially transform the ability to diagnose, treat and prevent the world's leading killer  cardiovascular disease.

"D. Dan Kahn recognizes that the discovery process requires brilliant minds working in collaboration," says Dr. James Woolliscroft, dean of the Medical School. "In today's world those relationships are often with global partners and we look forward to the opportunity to work with Technion, a university with a tradition of excellence and focus on innovation."

The CVC opened the doors of the state-of-the-art facility in 2007, and has become a space of hope and healing for thousands of patients fighting heart diseases and vascular disorders including stroke.

In recognition of the donor, the 300-seat auditorium at the Biomedical Science Research Building will be named in honor of the Kahns. With a striking architectural design of glass and curves, the BSRB is the largest research facility on campus.

A ceremony dedicating the auditorium in honor of D. Dan Kahn and his late wife is planned this summer.

"D. Dan Kahn has been a longtime friend of the University of Michigan and his vision for the finest in medical care and research is helping to make a difference in the lives of thousands," says Dr. Robert Kelch, special adviser to the president.

Kahn has made other gifts to the university. In 2004, he thanked the Health System and honored the memory of his late wife with a $1 million gift to the Cardiovascular Center. It led to the naming of the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Patient and Family Reception Area at the Cardiovascular Center. Betty Kahn died in June 2004.